feature: Favorite Albums of the First Half of 2012

2012 started off a bit slow, but it's been picking up. August and September are going to make the year. Here's 25 albums that I've been loving so far, no particular order, with links to listen when possible. There's indie rock, rap, garage rock, electronic, synthpop, folk, psych rock....a little something for everybody.

Row 1: Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan; Ty Segall/White Fence - Hair; Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse; El-P - Cancer4Cure; King Tuff - King Tuff
Row 2: Death Grips - The Money Store; Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music; Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions; Lil B - God's Father; Bear in Heaven - I Love You, It's Cool
Row 3: The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends; Beach House - Bloom; Grimes - Visions; Father John Misty - Fear Fun; Conveyor - Conveyor
Row 4: Liars - WIXIW; Oh No - Ohnomite; SpaceGhostPurrp - Mysterious Phonk; Jack White - Blunderbuss; Black Bananas - Rad Time Xpress IV
Row 5: Diamond Rugs - Diamond Rugs; Gucci Mane - Trap Back; Ab-Soul - Control System; Pond - Beard, Wives, Denim; Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

video: Pond - You Broke My Cool

Pond is the psych-rock side project of several Tame Impala members. The album is produced by Dave Fridmann, who is, in my opinion, one of the most recognizable producers. He's done stuff by MGMT, the Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, and Black Moth Super Rainbow, and you can instantly hear that it's the same producer on this album. If those connections sound like a good thing to you, and you enjoy some throwback psych-rock, then check out this excellent Pond album, Beard, Wives, Denim.